Lamp!

At that moment, Eck even had a feeling of God's favor - was this the reward for doing good? Ike vividly remembers a few months ago when the Chinese tried to open the British market with boatloads full of raw silk. The pen "Fun" pavilion www.biquge.info but it was resisted by the British businessmen en masse. The reason is very simple: for more than 100 years, the East India Company had a monopoly on the import of tea, while other British merchants could only engage in the raw silk trade, and the raw silk market had long been monopolized by a few large companies. Not only do they monopolize imports from China, but they also overshadow the British market.

Not to mention foreigners, even Ike as a nobleman is difficult to intervene in. And the advertisement released by the Chinese on the account made Eke see an opportunity to intervene. On the basis of Chinese promises to guarantee the supply of raw silk for the next ten years, he signed long-term supply contracts with dozens of factory owners, thus bypassing the obstruction of large companies and acting as an agent to sell Chinese raw silk to British factory owners.

Raw silk will bring him millions of pounds of wealth over the next decade, but man is always greedy. The wealth that electric light will bring in the future is incomparable to that of raw silk.

"Electric light, like water and bread, is indispensable for everyone's life!"

Yes!

Like the whale oil of the Americans, it is impossible for every Englishman to leave. It's just that whale oil has always been monopolized by the Americans, but electric lights, electric lights are powered by coal, Britain has the most abundant coal in the world, and brighter electric lights will quickly replace whale oil and light up tens of millions of British families.

How much wealth will he bring?

£1,000,000 a year?

£2 million? 3 million, 5 million, 10 million...... There were countless possibilities flashing through Ike's mind, and his breathing became a little rapid.

Not electric lights, of course.

From the anticipation and eagerness in the other party's eyes, Huang Ziyun could feel the frenzy in the other party's eyes, and he immediately realized what the baron was thinking. The whole upper class of London is now talking about electric light, and everyone knows the market and the wealth stored in it.

But Huang Ziyun knew very well that Han Du would never agree to license the electric light and its corresponding patents to a single person, and the electric light was a tool, a tool to bind the interests of everyone, just like the French electric light company formed in France, the shareholders of which were as many as hundreds of people, from the emperor to the influential politicians and wealthy people in France, all whose interests were tied to the electric light. Thanks to their help, the Spam Canning Company has now become one of the suppliers of the French Expeditionary Force.

But in addition to that, the partner must be given something in return. Through him, he told all the British that cooperation with China would bring great rewards, and that China would never treat any collaborator badly.

"Your Excellency, it's like this, the Central Chemical Company has just invented a new product......"

Putting the briefcase on the desk, taking out a paper bag from it and placing it on the countertop, Huang Ziyun looked at Ike and said,

"As our most reliable business partner in London, we are prepared to give priority to you as an agent."

The Central Chemical Company is no stranger to the Chinese company, Ike. As a member of the House of Lords, he knew very well that a few months earlier Britain had obtained a patent from this company for a new type of gunpowder, which, despite its great power, was ten times more powerful than black powder, but had encountered problems in its production. But despite this, the Navy was still full of expectations - because the small number of bombs used by the Chinese wiped out the US Navy and smashed the Russian fortresses. This is exactly what the Navy needs, and now the first products have already arrived in the Crimea, albeit in limited quantities, which is the damage they caused, and it still caused a sensation at the front, which is now urging for new shells every day. However, limited by the production of gunpowder, it was impossible for London to supply enough shells to the front.

In fact, now London is considering placing an order with China's central chemical company for the purchase of this new type of gunpowder. Because of this, Ike can be said to be very familiar with the company.

"What is it?"

Under Ike's gaze, Huang Ziyun opened the paper bag, and from now in front of Ike's eyes was a piece of silk and a piece of wool.

"It's ......"

Ike looked at Huang Ziyun puzzled.

Huang Ziyun smiled: "Your Excellency, you can take a closer look!" ”

Taking the piece of silk and wool, Ike took a closer look. It was indeed a little different from what he had seen before, the silk and wool dyed purple looked more vivid, and it could even be said that he had never seen such a brightly colored fabric.

"Is it dye?"

Ike looked at Huang Ziyun and said in surprise.

"Am I right? It's a new dye, right? ”

When Huang Ziyun nodded, Ike snuffed out the cigar cigarette in his hand, and then asked with interest:

"What is this dye made of?"

Now he was really interested, and as a businessman, he knew very well that bright dyes were also a store of wealth.

"It's a synthetic dye that doesn't need to be grown. This substance, which cannot be dyed on cotton cloth, can be dyed very easily on silk and wool, and the color is brighter than that of all kinds of plant dyes today, and it does not fade when washed in soapy water. ”

Huang Ziyun's explanation made Ike look at him a little confused.

"Synthetic dyes? How is it synthesized? ”

"Your Excellency, it is only necessary for a merchant to know that it is more colorful and cheaper."

In fact, Huang Ziyun didn't know what the dye was made of, he only knew that it needed to be used to enter the British market, and Ike was a good candidate - he was the third largest shareholder in the British woolen company and an influential raw silk merchant.

"Of course, that's exactly what we need."

Ike smiled and said to Huang Ziyun:

"Is there a problem with the production of this thing? Is it possible to produce in large quantities? ”

The most important thing is to provide enough products, just like the gunpowder, although it is extremely powerful, but its output cannot meet the needs of the army, and even later, British chemists discovered that the Chinese only found this technology in the "waste paper heap" of European chemists and applied it to the military. Could it be that the same is true of this dye?

"Of course not, now we have solved the problem of its production, and we can produce hundreds of tons or even more dyes per year."

Looking at Ike, Huang Ziyun said with a smile.

"And you, as our closest business partner, there is no more suitable partner than you."

When the two of them were talking about business, Guo Songtao, as a bystander, seemed a little uncomfortable, although the investigation of European countries made him very clear that European mercantilism, whether it was the emperor or the aristocracy, they were all involved in commerce, even the country could not leave commerce, compared with agriculture, commercial investment can bring, more lucrative returns.

But suddenly, he couldn't adapt to the change in diplomats trying to profit his country's merchants. Especially when I saw Huang Ziyun negotiating with Ike, I didn't feel like the world was in decline, but I still sighed in my heart from time to time.

"For every one or two more silver we earn from foreigners, then the burden on the people will be one or two less!"

Thinking of the words of the Han Governor when he was in Wuchang, Guo Songtao forced himself to accept and adapt to this change, learning the skills of business negotiation, as the head of the visiting delegation, he also had business negotiations with those foreigners, but most of the time he was a bystander, and those negotiations were more trade negotiations between countries, with basic guidelines in them.

“…… In this way, you make another 1.5 pence on the price,"

When Huang Ziyun didn't make any concessions, Ike suddenly said again.

"You should know my influence in the Army Procurement Committee, and I think I can include your canned food and other munitions in the procurement list."

Looking at Ike's naked behavior of "harming the public and private interests", Guo Songtao's eyes widened even more, isn't he worried about the damage his behavior will bring to the country? And he was so open-minded, as if he were talking about an ordinary business.

And Ike's next words made him look at the other party in surprise.

"Many British soldiers in Crimea felt that there was no better canned food than Spa Thumb cans, so I thought I should take the interests of the soldiers more into account."

Ike said in a high-sounding tone.

"I can promise that before the war is over, I will buy no less than £2,000,000 in canned food from you. I hope that not only will I be able to act as an agent for the sale of this dye in the UK, but I will also hope that you will transfer your patented technology......"

Faced with this request, Huang Ziyun did not answer immediately, but his heart could not be calm, 2 million pounds, almost equal to 7 million taels of silver...... It's big business. If this business can be done, canned food will become an extremely important export commodity, and unlike raw silk and tea, canned food is an industrial consumer product.

For this kind of patent transfer known as "aniline purple", Fuzhong does not exclude, in fact, Fuli also likes this kind of cooperation, in the form of patent shares, the interests of these foreigners are tied to China, with their influence to protect patents, and at the same time to obtain richer returns, after all, in many cases fat meat can not be eaten alone, and you always have to leave a little soup for others to eat meat yourself.

"£1.5 million a year for purchases!"

Looking at Ike, Huang Ziyun said his conditions:

"Now that we have set up a plantation in Nanyang, then you, who also appear canned fruit, I think the soldiers on the front line also need canned fruit, what do you think?"

This is only a dispensable condition, but it does not prevent him from continuing to fight for interests, after all, for Ike, these interests belong to the British government, and he does not need to defend them at all, and he can even exchange them for more lucrative personal interests. Of course everyone does, and even if Ike doesn't, so do others.

"Of course!"

Ike grinned, knowing that his goal had been accomplished.

"Of course they should have access to fruit. Your advice, my friend, is appropriate! ”

Saying that, he looked at Huang Ziyun again and said,

"Now can we sign the contract?"

The contract was signed after ten minutes, ostensibly just a contract, but the private exchange of interests was not written on paper, and sometimes, even Westerners rely on promises, just like at this time, it is impossible for both parties to put it all on paper.

After Ike left this room, Guo Songtao's gaze looked extremely complicated when he looked at Huang Ziyun, and he sighed after a while.

"It seems that there are some things that really can't be learned, and some things ...... This West is the same as our China, there is not much difference. ”

In the face of Guo Songtao's sigh, Huang Ziyun smiled faintly, but did not react too strongly, in fact, through contact with French officials, he knew that French officials were more corrupt than British officials, not only in France, but also in other European countries. Just like China's Qing officials only exist in drama.

"Lord Guo, in fact, the crows in the world are really dark, but at least the Fuzhong is much better than them now!"

Huang Ziyun, who was unwilling to continue on this issue, quickly changed the topic and said.

"By the way, Lord Guo, what are you going to return to?"

"Return ......"

Huang Ziyun's question made Guo Songtao stunned, and he couldn't help but feel longing when he thought of China, which had been away for more than nine months.

Return...... Is it appropriate to return to China now?

There are still several countries in Europe that have not been inspected, and there are still the United States on the other side of the Atlantic that have not been inspected, so the reason why they did not go to the United States is because the relations between Fuchu and the United States are still tense, and although Fuchu has released American prisoners of war through negotiations, it is obviously not suitable to visit the United States now, and it may be possible to wait until next year.

And by next year, we should get to know Europe more deeply about other European countries, such as Prussia, Austria, and even Russia.

Guo Songtao knows very well that there may never be a next visit like this, so he must seize this opportunity to fully understand the various countries in Europe and understand their politics, culture, economy and other aspects.

But that doesn't mean he doesn't miss home!

In the past, when he was an official abroad, he never felt too strong homesickness, but now, in Europe, thousands of miles away from China, it is easy to feel homesick.

Many times he would miss the rice of his hometown in his dreams - even if he wanted to eat the simplest rice in Europe, it was difficult to reach the sky, and Europe could not eat rice. The last time I ate rice, it was by chance in the Netherlands, and the attaché bought dozens of catties of rice on a merchant ship.

After all, it was just a kind of homesickness, and he cared more about the changes in his hometown than he missed the food in his hometown.

"I don't know what has changed in the family now......" (To be continued.) )